Information and articles regarding the history of our Club
In March 2026, our Probus Club will be fifty years old, we’re more vibrant than ever with great fellowship between members!
Do you know?
Who used to serve tea and coffee to members?
How many hotels our Club has used?
Which little street in Clovenfords has been home to four office bearers?
Find out all this and more in Ian Forsyth’s article on his memories of his time in the Club. Click here to access it.
Past Presidents
1976 – 1989
1990 – 2009
2010 Onwards
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1990 – P Park
2010 – J Platt
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1991 – A J Little
2011 – W M S Thom
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1992 – D R Stewart
2012 – A W Arbuckle
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1993 – W A Cowan
2013 – S Frame
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1994 – D M Brown
2014 – R McKendrick
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1995 – J W Grieve
2015 – F Sharp
1976 – A L Glover
1996 – T Lindsay
2016 – H Reid
1977 – A B Clayton
1997 – C G McKenzie
2017 – D J Romanis
1978 – D Alexander
1998 – G Hall
2018 – T Ingoldsby
1979 – Dr D R Currie
1999 – I A Forsyth
2019 } A Karczewska-
1980 – D McInnes
2000 – I A MacKinnon
2020 } Slowikowska *
1981 – J Peter
2001 – M B Brydon
2021 – D Hope
1982 – D Ross
2002 – R Hill
2022 – A Cameron
1983 – J Carmichael
2003 – D A MacDonald
2023 – F Field
1984 – Dr J B Borthwick
2004 – R Ford
2024 G Arbuckle
1985 – J Barker
2005 – G Rennie
2025 J Crawford
1986 – G T Brown
2006 – J Miller
1987 – Dr J Martindale
2007 – I S A Skinner
1988 – J Rogerson
2008 – J Birrell
1989 – G Finlay
2009 – T Kerr
* Double term due to Covid
Archive – President’s Lunch – 23rd May 2024
The annual President’s lunch for the Galashiels and District Probus Club took place in the Townhouse Hotel Melrose. Forty members and their guests attended.
After a delicious lunch, the President, FreddieField, gave a retiring talk, thanking all those who had so supported her as President, and the club in general, throughout the session.
Photo: Tom Ingoldsby
Freddie welcomed the incoming president Gillian Arbuckle, handing over the sash of office which bore the names of previous presidents, including Gillian’s father, Alex, who had been President over a decade ago! This was also another first for the Club with the Presidency changing hands between two of our lady members.
Photo: Norrie Allan
Tom Ingoldsby was recognised for his sustained support and commitment over many years in several roles including Committee Member, President and leader of our Technical Team by being given an Honorary lifetime membership.
The event concluded with a fascinating talk from retired GP, Malcolm Lindsay, focussing, with humour, on the state of the many moths of Scotland today and tales of his efforts in the dark to track them down in the Scottish Borders.
(Text – Nancy Marshall. Posted 27th May)
Archive – President’s Outing – 25th April 2024
National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh
Annually, the Probus President organises a Club Outing; this year the choice of President Freddie Field was to the National Library of Scotland, who had previously given us a talk.
Two private tours were organised and each group was shown round the hidden depths of the Library by a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide.
The library was established as a reference library by the Advocates Society in 1689 until becoming the National Library in 1925 when the George IV Bridge building was planned. it was finally completed, then formally opened in 1956 by the late Queen.
It is a public resource housing 34 million books, maps and manuscripts.
It holds both the smallest and the largest books in the word! Anyone can access the collections, provided they become members – free to join.
The groups who went on the tour were very enthusiastic about this National treasure with many members deciding to join this wonderful resource.
Contributed by Nancy Marshall – posted 4th May2024
Archive – President’s Outing – 25th May 2023
Bird Gardens Scotland, Oxton
(Click the first image to start a slide show)
Photos – Norrie Allan
Idea for a day out
Henry Borthwick has emailed to tell us:
“In April, I listened to the Probus talk by Charles Dundas from the Borders Forest Trust. I went to visit the Carrifran project, just beyond the Grey Mare’s Tail. It was a lovely sunny day and I followed part of the trail. It was most enjoyable and I kept marvelling at what had been achieved.”
